Visit the Askifou War Museum: A Tribute to the Battle of Crete For those interested in the Battle of Crete and the occupation of the island in WWII, a visit to the private museum of the Hatzidakis family, at the…
Christmas and New Year Traditions in Crete Christmas and New Year traditions in Crete, as in the rest of Greece, are rich and many, and while most date from the earliest Christian times, some go back much further, even to…
Olive Harvest Tradition in Crete This month a ritual takes place on the island that dates back thousands of years. From November the olive harvest begins, and the age-old tradition for extracting the year’s olive oil gets underway. Across Crete…
The Raki-Making Tradition in Crete At this time of year one of the great rituals of Cretan life begins: the making of raki – the fiery alcoholic spirit of Crete. The process for making raki or tsikoudia as it’s also…
Apokoronas - A Green Oasis in Crete The region in which Georgioupoli sits is one of the greenest and most fertile areas of Crete. Extending from the foothills of the White Mountains to the coast, Apokoronas comprises a wide plain…
Vamos - A Charming Cretan Village Vamos - A Charming Cretan Village A trip to Vamos, eleven kilometres northwest of Georgioupoli, makes a great day-excursion. Once the capital of the Sfakia and Apokoronas, this is a traditional village dating from…
Rethymno - A Charming Cretan City As summer reaches its peak there’s no better day-out than a visit to Crete’s third largest city, and some would say its most alluring. Rethymno is a town full of wonders, with great restaurants,…
Santorini - A Day Trip from Rethymno Everyone yearns to visit the most famous of all Greek islands – Santorini, the jewel of the Cyclades, but few realize that it’s an easy two-hour cruise from Rethymno, just half an hour’s…
Exploring Crete's Traditional Lyra Music and Instrument Unique to Crete, the lyra is the pear-shaped, three-stringed instrument that is played on the knee like a violin. Nothing is more Cretan than this ancient instrument, which according to Greek mythology, was…
Explore the Amari Valley in Crete With the mighty Psiloritis mountain range to the east and the Kedros moutains to the west, the Amari valley lies cradled 500 metres above sea level, an enchanting labyrinth of country lanes, connecting tiny…